Reversed Polarity
by Dorpat
Summary: Upon touring a new planet, the Doctor and Peri spot the Master carrying a curious orb with him. Sensing trouble, they grab an orb of their own and follow him to what's called the "secret floor". But only Peri can see just how dangerous this is, and that both the Doctor and the Master are acting strange...
1. It's All Downhill From Here

**AN:**

 **First story posted in a couple of years! It starts off slow, so hang on for a few chapters.**

* * *

"Well Doctor, you've managed to take me to a new height of humiliation." Peri crossed her arms with her face still red. Her hair was tangled and her new dress was caked in blood and dirt.

"Hey, you're not the only one!" The Doctor was just as bad, but with his coat too bright and complex it was virtually unnoticeable. "If anything you should learn from today."

"Learn what? You're the one that started it all."

"Exactly! If you had followed what I was doing we wouldn't have been pummeled."

"Follow what _you_ were doing? As far as I can tell, you were yelling out some conspiracy theory and using me as a shield when people began rioting."

The Doctor sighed. "Well, the Metebelis 3 isn't the most hospitable planet out there, I must admit. But you need to ignore what others think about you and do what you feel is right!"

"You're one to talk, rainbow boy." Peri groaned. "I'll be changing if you need me." She walked off, still fuming over the Doctor's little "incident" involving a so-called oncoming invasion. The results were something similar to throwing tomatoes at a mediocre performer, except with more violence.

"Come out when you're done, Peri," said the Doctor as she disappeared. "I'll find a place much friendlier for you." He hovered over the TARDIS console and typed in coordinates as if he had them memorized and practiced. With the pull of a lever and a thump on the console, the TARDIS dematerialized and they were off.

A few minutes later, right as they landed, Peri walked in wearing blue knee-length shorts and a very low-cut T-shirt. She was in a much better mood after getting cleaned up. "So where to this time?"

The Doctor double-checked the coordinates. "Lithios Caleia, a human colony."

"Let's get out there, then." Peri smiled and walked out the door right when the Doctor opened it. Her smile immediately disappeared. "Uh, Doctor, I think you messed up again."

The Doctor joined her outside and surveyed the barren land around them. "No, this is the right place. Off a couple years, perhaps, but the terrain is definitely unique to this planet."

Peri bent down and picked up a sample of dark purple and burgundy pebbles. "What kind of terrain is this, anyway? I've never seen anything like it."

"Those are minerals, Peri. This planet is filled with them. I'd say the majority of the population consists of miners."

"Well where are they? I don't see anyone around."

Peri took a few steps forward to detect any signs of life and, not looking where she was going, slid down a hill into a deep hollow. She tried to climb out, but it was too steep and there was no stable ground to hold onto. "Doctor!"

The Doctor went to the edge of the hill, which could almost be considered a mountain, and looked down at Peri. "Don't worry! I'll be right down!"

He took a stake and a line of rope out of his jacket and stuck the stake deep into the ground. Then, he tied the rope around it and hung it down so Peri could climb.

Peri reached up for the rope, but it was too high, even when she jumped. "Doctor, move it closer! I can't reach!"

The Doctor tilted the stake in hopes that it would lower the rope just enough for her to grab on, but it came loose and fell to the ground beside Peri. Seeing Peri's frustration, he decided to try something else. He slid down the hill the same way she did, but with more control, and soon stood next to her. He picked up the stake and aimed it at the top of the mountain, then threw it up. To their dismay, it just fell down again.

"Oh well," said the Doctor with an optimistic view. "There must be another way out of here."

Together, they searched the hollow – or was it a crater? – for anything that could let them out. Who knew it was so big? It must have been the size of an entire city. Peri stopped when she felt something heavier underneath the small rocks. She bent down and brushed the pebbles aside to reveal a metal plate. "Hey Doctor, come look at this."

The Doctor went over to her to see what she found. He pushed her aside and bent down to observe her discover. "It's a metal door. Magnificent job, Peri, I think you have just found a way to civilization." He smiled at her and tugged at the cold handle. "Do me a favor and help me with this."

Peri grabbed the handle with him and with their combined strength they opened the door to a ladder. Peri went down first, eager to see where this went, and the Doctor followed. They found themselves in an elevator made with plain steel and with only up and down arrows for buttons. She was disappointed with how boring it was; she was expecting something more interesting and exotic, but this turned out to be worse than the ones in shabby apartment buildings. The Doctor wasn't as let down, or didn't show it. He simply pressed the down arrow and they fell down below the surface of the planet.


	2. City of Bright, Color-Blind Lights

Peri was blinded by the burning neon lights once the door opened. They walked out and the doors closed behind them, and Peri realized it was an urban city. The ground was flatter and more stable, and it was artificially lit with big light posts and flashy building signs. It was just like the cities back on earth, like New York City or Tokyo.

"Interesting," said the Doctor. "An underground society. I wonder why they don't live on the surface."

"This huge place and you're thinking about its location? Come on, let's see what's around!" Peri grinned.

"Good idea." The Doctor pointed outward in a flashy manner. "Into the city we go!"

It wasn't as populated as Peri had thought once she started walking about. It had a good amount of people, but it wasn't crowded like most big cities. But what made it really strange were the people themselves – they had the same color-blind rainbow fashion as the Doctor. If anything, she was the one who stood out. It was embarrassing.

"Well, Peri, where do you want to go first? They have a fine selection of shops and entertainment all around."

They walked a little more while Peri looked at each building. She was always up for a shopping spree, but she had no interest in looking like a clown. Still, there were other shops. "You said they had a lot of minerals, didn't you? So how about a jewelry shop?"

Peri and the Doctor walked through the door of a small jewelry store and passed a man in black through the doorway, who was holding a red ball the size of his palm.

"Uh oh, looks like we have trouble." Peri pointed out the person to the Doctor, who could be none other than the Master.

"Yes, we do." The Doctor tapped his chin. "But what was he holding? Go look around while I investigate."

Peri and the Doctor split ways, Peri to the left end of the store and the Doctor to the front desk. She wasn't too keen on being left out of the mystery, but she was eager to go shopping. For the strange fashion the natives had, they made fine jewelry. Expensive, but pretty. There was one particular item she had interest in, a necklace with a diamond-shaped gem in the middle, but, if she were converting these prices right, it cost more than her house in Los Angeles.

A man walked up next to her and looked and the necklace. "A fine piece, isn't it?" He smiled at her. "Pure zieplite. It's worth a lot, as you can see."

Peri turned her attention from the necklace to the man talking to her. He was just a few years older than her, but a couple inches shorter, and wearing a bright orange suit with a tie. She was tempted to laugh, but held it back and acted mature. "Yeah, it is. It's still pretty."

"Thanks, I made it myself."

Peri raised an eyebrow. "You made it? Really?"

"I've made a lot of things in this shop. I'm a jeweler." He looked her up and down. "I'm also an amateur tailor."

Peri chuckled nervously at her foreign outfit. "Yeah, I'm not from here. I just arrived, actually."

The man was shocked. "We haven't had visitors in years." Nevertheless, he smiled and held out his hand. "I'm Onylos."

Peri shook his hand and beamed back. "Peri."

"Well, Peri, would you like to try it on?" Onylos took a key from his pocket and unlocked the glass case. He took the necklace out and put it around Peri's neck.

Peri wrapped her hand around the jewel. It was cold and strong. It made her want it even more.

"Okay, that's enough. I have to put it back now." Onylos went to unhook the necklace, but Peri pulled on it to rebel. "I want to buy it."

Onylos looked at her softly, like she was a child. "I don't think you have the money to buy it. I told you it's expensive."

"I'm sure I do. I'll just ask the Doctor." She looked around the store, but didn't see him anywhere.

But she heard him. "Store policy? Store policy? Store policy! This is the difference between life and death! You have no clue how dangerous that man is, and even selling something to him is pure stupidity!"

Peri slapped her palm onto her face. "There he is." She followed the yelling with Onylos behind her.

"It's a simple question: what did you sell him?" He held up his hand when the clerk went to talk. "And don't give me anything about your 'privacy policy'. I want the truth and nothing but the truth."

The store clerk looked as if she would walk out any second. "Sir, if you don't stop creating such ruckus I'll have to call in the manager."

"I would love to speak to the store manager. That way I can tell them just how incompetent this establishment's employees are!"

Onylos tapped the Doctor's shoulder politely. He flinched for a moment seeing the outraged man tower over him, but a look from Peri assured him it was all right.

"Perhaps I could help you," said Onylos. "I've been here all day, and seen people come in and out. Who are you talking about?"

"I'm looking for a man called the Master. He wears all black and walked out of here with some sort of red sphere. I want to know where he got it."

Onylos nodded, and winked at the store clerk. "I remember him coming in. He went straight to the orbs, bought one, and then walked out without a second thought."

"An orb?" asked Peri.

"Yes, those balls in the corner of the room. I'm not sure why we sell them, honestly. They're made of the same rocks you can find anywhere and really don't have a purpose. But the manager put them up for sale, and I can't argue about that."

"Show me these orbs," said the Doctor.

Onylos led them over to a shelf in the back where there were little balls on racks. The Doctor picked up a blue one rolled it around in his hands, played with it, and even juggled with it for a second. With its light weight and durability, he could see them selling, but why the Master wanted it he had no idea.

"Okay, I'd like to buy this." He made his way to the counter.

"Oh, and I want to buy this necklace." Peri held up the necklace so the Doctor could see.

"Go ahead." The Doctor put an odd amount of credits on the counter that he didn't even bother to count and headed out to the streets.

"Hey, Peri," said Onylos as they were walking out. "Where are you staying?"

Peri shrugged. "We haven't found a place yet."

"Well, you can stay with me if you want. It's building 27, third quadrant on the residential level."

"We'll be sure to do that," the Doctor said. He kept walking without looking back to the man with whom he was now staying and went down the street while inspecting the orb once more.

* * *

The Master ignored the soft hum of his orb as he strode through the city on what was somewhat a scavenger hunt. He already had the most important part, of course, but he could use something to blend in a bit better, instead of looking like an ink blot in an otherwise bright painting.

He walked into what was labelled as a men's formal wear facility, but it looked just like any other rubbish fashion outlet. But instead of the usual odd looks, a teenaged store worker greeted him personally the moment he walked in.

"Oh my, you poor fellow! What happened? Did they suck you dry?"

"Who sucked me dry?" The Master held back a smirk, already sensing a way forward.

"The mechanic guards. They're always so strict about the secret level." The store worker tugged at the Master's collar with curiosity.

The Master slapped her hand away, but smiled politely immediately afterward. "Yes, they did. I had the proper clearance but I lost my ID." He shook his head slowly. "How could the guard not remember me?"

The store keeper touched the Master's arm and looked at him empathetically. "I'm so sorry about that. Don't worry, sir, we'll replace your suit here and you can redeem your ID just across the street there. You know, if you're telling the truth." She chuckled.

"Forget about the suit, I want the head guard to see what his foolish guard did to me. Thank you anyway." He waved his hand and made his way across the street. What luck – he could stay decent in his own outfit and get a free pass into whatever this secret level held. The name alone suggested it contained what he was looking for, and if his luck streak continued, something more.


	3. The Orb

The Doctor sat on Onylos's coffee table with no care for the other contents nor that it was made of fragile glass. He was still thinking about the orb, wondering how it was significant. Peri sat on the couch watching television, uninterested.

"Heads up!" The Doctor threw the orb at Peri's head. It hit her on her right temple before she had a chance to duck.

"Hey, what was that for?" Peri rubbed her head. "Couldn't that break?"

The Doctor smiled and stuck his finger in the air. "But it didn't!" He bounced the orb in the air. "It's marble but has all the properties of plastic. What an interesting planet, don't you think?"

"Not in its cable selection. This is even more boring than public television in Delaware." Peri turned the television off and turned to the Doctor. "Are you going to play with that all day?"

"I'm just about done, Peri." The Doctor stood up.

"How about you let me see it for a second?" The Doctor handed the orb to Peri. She cried out in pain once she held it and dropped it. With an impressive dive, the Doctor caught it just in time.

"Careful!" He tightly gripped the orb. "What were you thinking?"

Peri assisted him in getting off the ground. "It was hot. Really hot. You don't feel it?"

"No, not at all. Perhaps it's a Time Lord's resistance to heat." The Doctor shrugged. "Oh well. Come along, Peri, we have some more investigating to do."

Peri grinned, eager to do something interesting rather than sitting in a stranger's house. She followed the Doctor out, but paused in the doorway and stared oddly at the orb. "Uh… Doctor…?"

"What?" The Doctor turned to face her. "Why did you stop?"

"The orb, it's… it's humming, and glowing."

The Doctor brought the globe up to his face. "Is this some sort of joke? I don't see anything." He glared at her for a second. "If so, it is placed with the 'what's behind your back?' trick in mediocre foolery."

"It's not a joke, Doctor! Believe me, it's changing!"

The Doctor raised his eyebrow. "In that case, this is a different case entirely. We must rush before anything new develops."

They made their way to the jewelry shop as soon as they could. The store clerk saw them coming and walked out, putting a sign up to justify her absence.

"Hello, is anyone here?" The Doctor rang the bell on the counter, but nobody came. He scoffed. "What terrible service. I'm going to speak to the manager about this."

Peri looked around the rest of the store. "Is Onylos still here?"

The shop was a bit busier now. There were a handful of people here and there, but it was big enough for them to be dispersed. Onylos was nowhere to be seen. There was one man eyeing the shelf with the orbs, however.

Peri went up to the man and stood next to him. He looked like he came out of some asylum, with tangled, stand-up hair and plain clothing. Or maybe he was Doc Brown in casual wear. Whatever the case, he was probably a nut job.

"Do you know anything about those orbs there?" Peri asked. He may look crazy, but maybe he could be useful.

The man spoke with a mature voice which didn't match his appearance. "You don't have one, do you?"

"My friend the Doctor does. But now it's hot and glowing and he doesn't even notice."

The man widened his eyes. Whether it was in positive or negative she couldn't tell.

"What?" Peri got a bit nervous from his reaction. "Does it mean something?"

"Of course it means something! Come missy, outside." He grabbed her arm and brought her out to an alleyway behind the building. Definitely a nut job, Peri decided.

"Okay, so what's so special about this orb?" asked Peri.

"It's the key to the secret level."

"Secret level?" Peri raised her eyebrows. "Sounds like a bonus out of an arcade game."

"No, it's the one below the mechanic's level. The one people don't talk about." He looked around, paranoid. "I'm not sure what's down there, but it's something important."

Peri took a step back. "Thanks for the advice…"

The man sensed her hesitance. "Sorry, I seem like some sort of conspirator. But anyone else will tell you tell you the same thing."

"I'll be sure to tell the Doctor." Peri slipped back into the building and looked at the orbs once again. She imagined the Master trying to take over the universe with a silly ball, and giggled. There was no way it could be that important.

The man watched her out, and closed the door for her. He took a comb out and easily brushed it through his hair. He went from scrappy to classy in seconds, silently thanking the person who invented hair gel.

"I've checked with the girl," he said into a headset. "I think I've sparked her curiosity about the 'secret level'."

A woman replied through the headset. "What about the man with the orb?"

"He was somewhere else. I never got a chance to speak to him personally."

"Ev, that's the most important part!" She groaned. "But the girl is with him, right?"

"Yeah, she said she'll mention it to him. How about you?"

"Easy job. One question, though – any signs of the orb acting up?"

"Yes, actually. It's hot and—"

"Glowing?"

Evren nodded, even though she couldn't see him. "Is it time to activate them?"

"No, let's wait until we're both back in the office. That way we can keep track."

"Got it. I'll see you there."

They disconnected simultaneously. Evren glanced back at the building he exited earlier, then dashed eagerly off to their rendezvous point.

"Well, it is a good start," the Doctor admitted. He had been speaking to the manager just a few minutes earlier, and settled on a deal that he could get a collection of trinkets just to leave without a lawsuit. The orb was in the bag, and lit it up.

"Okay, it's decided. We'll see what this secret level is. But…" The Doctor snapped his fingers. "That means the Master has a key as well. He might already be down there for all we know."

"Then let's hurry!"

The Doctor and Peri ran to the elevator and went down until they hit the residential level. There, they were stopped by a guard.

"This is going down to the mechanic level," the guard said, crossing his arms. "I cannot let you down without proper identification."

"Identification…" the Doctor dug through his jacket for anything he could use. As he did that, the Master passed by holding an ID card.

"Here is my pass, sir," said the Master, holding up a card to the guard.

The guard just frowned. "I saw you trying to forge your way through here earlier. You better have a good excuse for coming back." He leaned forward to get a closer look at the ID, and met eyes with the Master. Then he just stared.

"I had just misplaced my pass," said the Master. "You see, I am fully approved for access. Read the card."

The guard looked at the card, the back at the Master. "I apologize, sir. Go ahead."

The Master nodded and went back into the elevator. He acknowledged the Doctor on his way, and chuckled as the doors closed. Peri noticed an orb in an open pouch of his fade from red to purple. She then checked the Doctor's, which was purple as well.

"Okay, Peri, we need a way to get down there."

"Why don't we do something like the Master?" Peri suggested. "We can get our own passes and see if one of the other guards will let us in."

"No, they'll never believe us." His expression changed from a perplexed one to an enlightened one. "There's an elevator going up over there." The Doctor pointed. "Follow me."

* * *

 **AN: Yes, there are a few OCs in this. Kill me now if you'd like. I was just in the mindset that there needs to be some interaction with the society beyond a few minor characters, just like in an actual episode.**


	4. Down, Down, Down

The Doctor and Peri went into the permitted elevator and pressed the button to go up. The Doctor dug through his pockets for a while, but was ultimately disappointed. "That's right. The sonic screwdriver's out of the question."

"Sonic screwdriver?" Peri asked.

"An old tool I used to use before it was destroyed. Came in handy. I should get a new one sometime." He shrugged and pulled a bobby pin from his coat. "I guess I'll have to pick the controls myself."

Peri waited for a moment while the Doctor gently wedged the bobby pin behind the button and moved it around. The elevator suddenly fell and she lost her balance, hanging onto the rail for support. She had terrible vertigo as she stood. The elevator jerked as it stopped, making her fall once more. Once it was all safe, Doctor walked out without acknowledging Peri's troubles. She followed seconds later, slightly irritated that he didn't bother assisting her.

"Is this room supposed to be secret?" Peri crossed her arms. "It looks more like a labor camp."

"I only set it to go down a single level," said the Doctor. "I wanted to see if the mechanical level had anything to offer. It's probably where they regulate everything for survival, like water and air pressure. I already feel a bit heavier here."

Peri snorted. "Then you must be feeling like an elephant right now."

The Doctor frowned. "That is very insulting, Peri. There is nothing wrong with a little extra meat. In fact, it is vital to get a hefty meal after a long day of running around!"

"Sure, sure." Peri tugged at her necklace, which felt more constrictive than earlier. "I think my necklace is getting tighter, Doctor."

"Nonsense. That's just magnetism doing its job. The magnetic pull is increased as well as we go further down."

"Does that mean when we get down to the secret level it'll be hard to move around with so much gravity?"

"I hope not. But let's not dwell on that."

The Doctor walked in a random direction. Peri followed, watching the workers weld and whack and do things she had never seen. It was a mess of bright orange caution suits and flames. No one noticed them through all of it.

The Doctor smiled. "You know, Peri, I've seen many underground civilizations in my time, and the main cause of downfall is an incompetent workload. But these folks have set up an entire system of work! Look, they even have machines." He walked up to a conveyor belt and tapped on the console. "It's completely ignoring physics! There's no magnetic interference, as if the energy is being transferred telepathically."

"Then where is the power coming from?"

"Who knows. Energy comes in many forms, and with a society so unique they could have designed their own system."

Peri hardly listened to the Doctor and instead focused her attention on the Doctor's bag. The orb inside it was pulsing. What did that mean?

"It's changing again," Peri said. He didn't respond. "Doctor, I said the orb acting up. It's like a rave party in there. Doctor, why aren't you listening to me?"

The Doctor stared vacantly into nothingness. Peri shook him as much as she could, trying to get him to listen, but he seemed to be in some sort of trance. After a few seconds, he returned, and pushed Peri off of him.

"Doctor, what happened?"

"I don't know," the Doctor said. "I just… blacked out." He shook his head and put his hands on his hips. "Well, I'm better now, so let's keep going."

"Did you hear me? The orb is acting up again." Peri took the bag from him and looked inside. The color was now more of a burgundy than a purple. "It's changing colors."

"Who knows, that might be natural." The Doctor turned around and walked in the opposite direction, back to the elevator. He held her hand as they walked.

"Where are you going?" Peri asked. Again the Doctor didn't respond. He looked almost possessed. Peri picked the orb out of the bag, and it was red hot, so she dropped it back in. It was acting up even more: blinking erratically, whizzing, and changing to a bright red. The Doctor squeezed her hand to a painful extent and took the orb from her, glaring.

"Doctor, you're hurting me!" Peri winced. She couldn't wrangle out of his grip.

"That's not important. We're going to the next level."

"Well do you have to drag me around like a child?"

"A child? A child! As if I'd carry a child around with me. Really, Peri, for a girl going into college, sometimes you have the intelligence of a fly. You're a nuisance like one as well."

Peri felt him further constrict her hand, cutting off any blood circulation to it. She looked up to the Doctor who, instead of his normal boastful but overall kind appearance, wore a sharp glare staring straight ahead and ignoring Peri altogether. Peri wasn't sure what was happening, but she knew there was something wrong with him.

The Doctor dropped her hand suddenly and held his head. He struggled to keep his balance, and leaned on her for support. "Peri, I blanked out again. Tell me what happened."

"Y-you just started acting different and said you wanted to go lower. And you grabbed me as hard as you could." Peri held her purple hand up. It tingled as the blood returned.

"Hmm." The Doctor tapped his foot. "I wonder why I keep going through these memory lapses."

"Maybe it's the Master," Peri said. "We haven't seen him since we arrived; he must be up to something."

"No, I don't think he could pull off something like this."

"Well, what about—"

"Peri, please, I don't need any more of your wild guesses! For now, let's keep going, and be more careful this time."

"Don't worry, Doctor, I'll make sure you don't hurt anybody." She smiled and muttered, "especially not me."

The Doctor and Peri walked around the workplace for many hours without the Doctor showing any signs of instability. Still, Peri was on her feet the entire time, to a point where she was paranoid. She kept her eye on the Doctor the entire time, paying attention not to his words but to any signs he would strangle her like the last time he went through a period like this. To her relief, the Doctor was back to his ordinary self.

"Ah, young Perpugilliam, do you know what?" The Doctor stopped. "I really despise this place."

"What… do you mean? You kept going on and on about how wonderful it was." Peri prepared herself for the worse. She didn't have a weapon, but she had a heavy necklace, and took it off just in case she needed to defend herself.

"Wonderful?" The Doctor paused for a moment. "Indeed, it is wonderful. But these people act as if they're going to spend all their days working to maintain a community that is going to fall very soon. You better say your goodbyes while you can, because you won't be seeing any one of them alive again."

There was a change in his voice. It was subtle, something most people would not notice, but it was enough for Peri to move into a defensive position. "Doctor, you're starting to act up again."

"Well of course I am." The Doctor shrugged. "It's painful to see you have yet to figure it out."

"Figure what out?"

"Figure out that I prefer it this way." The Doctor gestured to her. "Come along, come along, we must hurry. The Master is closer to the center than we are, and we aren't going to let him destroy humanity before us."

Peri stayed planted in her position. "I'm not going to let you go out and kill everybody here. That's… that's just terrible! It's so unlike you!"

"I didn't think you would notice." The Doctor turned to face Peri. "I have undergone a transformation. Turned over a new leaf, you might say."

"No, Doc, this isn't you!" Peri started to tear up. "You wouldn't go out there and kill these people just for the sake of it. It's… evil!"

"Evil?" The Doctor slowly grinned. "I like that description. Yes, I suppose I am evil."

Peri tried to run, but she was too struck with awe to move. He was insane. Thoroughly insane. Only the worst of the worst would call themselves evil, and the Doctor was a good man. This is just a phase, she told herself. Soon the Doctor will be back to his normal self. For now, she had to escape before he dragged her into his plan of chaos.

Once she managed to take a step to run, the Doctor stepped in her path. Anywhere she faced, he blocked. With only one option left, Peri lashed out and swung her necklace at the Doctor, the sharp, heavy metal leaving a scratch on his face.

The Doctor laughed and stole her necklace. "Did you really think you could hurt me with _this?_ Jewelry? How stupid." He picked her up and carried her over his shoulder. Peri kicked and screamed, but the Doctor paid no attention.

The Doctor stopped right at the elevator shaft. Peri couldn't see what he was doing, but she heard the doors moving, and when he set her down, holding her hand in his impossible grip once more, the elevator doors opened to an endless pit. She looked up to the Doctor, unable to read his now dark expression, but got a bad feeling in her stomach. Her gut was right: The Doctor brought her dangerously close to the edge.

"Peri, I don't think I've ever asked you this: are you scared of heights?"

Peri stared down the hole and gulped, but didn't answer.

"No? How about the dark?"

Silence.

The Doctor pushed her over the edge, into the empty shaft. "I hope you learn to face your fears!" he called down with a smile.


End file.
